Coming off anti-depressants, when does it get better?

[Strawberrycreamcalzone]

Hoping for some positive stories, but welcome any experiences people have had!

I’ve gradually weaned off Citalopram after taking 20mg daily for about 3 years. I came off it because of side effects and the fact that it hadn’t really made much of a difference in treating my mood and anxieties.

However since stopping completely I feel terrible, much worse than I did pre-antiDs. Just in a dark, sad place. My anxiety is way worse and OCD/intrusive thoughts the worst they’ve been in a decade. I just feel so low and like I’m never going to be happy again :(

It’s been around 3 months now. Should withdrawal last this long? Does it get better? I really really don’t want to be dependent on antidepressants for the rest of my life but I’m wondering whether to just go back on them 😭

It’s so variable. How quickly did you taper down? The RCP guidance might be helpful to read:

www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/treatments-and-wellbeing/stopping-antidepressants

Does the fact that you now feel terrible, mean the ADs were actually working?

You should only come off this medication very slowly and under medical supervision.

Not necessarily at all. Withdrawal symptoms are well recognised and defined, and separate from removing the benefit of taking the AD, where there is benefit.

I came off citalopram in March and it’s only now that I’ve started to feel more balanced. I’ve had long periods of low mood to deal with. Keep going as it should get better.

sorry To hear you’re feeling so low. You need to get back to your GP and discuss, it might be that there is another more suitable medication they can offer

You can come of anti depression meds yes you have to give your self time and patience, when l lost my wife the meds helped a great deal , um so came of and l suppose about 6 to 9 months after
I started but do it with gps advive and any other support you need l am a pensioner and never had the meds before

I don’t think so because I feel so much worse than before I was taking them, without any reason other than it being withdrawal symptoms :/

Are you tapering down properly as per GP advice?

GPs often still give very little advice or suggest a too fast taper. That's why I linked to the Royal College of Psychiatrists advice, although some people need to go slower than that.

That's not my experience of coming off several types of AD's over the years. I've always been under their guidance and told to come off very slowly.

I was told to reduce by the smallest possible amount and to stay there until I felt fine for (I think) 2 or 3 months. Can’t remember exactly as it was ages ago but it took a loooong time to come off. But absolutely no problems.

It took me a couple of months to feel better, but I’d only taken them for about 3-4 months.

And that’s absolutely how it should be. I
should hope most GPs give decent advice, but as I said, it often isn’t the case. So people need to be aware and educate themselves. A starting point is the RCP advice.

Personal experience only and your mileage may vary.

Withdrawal doesn’t last 3-months but it could be something else causing the issues such as a ND thing?

I found I was actually ND and diagnosed as such. This came with medication of its own. I came off my anti-depressants and didn’t really improve (hell, I’d argue it got worse for several months) and until I was established on my new medication for ND. I’ve since been depression free and clearer in my day to day with the ND medication and kept my OCD / anxiety in check although it is for a different ND disorder.

Could you be ND (ADHD, ADD whatever)? And it may be if you’re diagnosed and given medication, you may find it better day to day and improve life significantly. Especially when compared to anti-depressants that I found never helped (again my experience, others may differ).

Yes. It’s a while ago now, but when I started tapering off fluoxetine according to the guidelines, I had violent side effects and needed to go much slower. My GP prescribed it in liquid form to take a very slow taper easier.

The symptoms of SSRI/SNRI withdrawal absolutely can last beyond three months. I can find links to some others resources, but beware of just googling, OP, as much discussion online is alarmist and no one needs that (speaking from experience).

I have tried twice to come off Citalopram and the anger I felt was awful. I just carried on with them. I only take 10mg down from 20 which I managed twice with no obvious symptoms but coming down further was horrendous.
next time I think I will do it much more slowly but feel very scared to try again.

Yes I’m so angry! I’ve tapered gradually but just felt gradually worse and worse over the course of it. But just sort of persevered thinking it would improve.

I had Sertraline for 6 months when the menopause exacerbated my already high anxiety, particularly health anxiety. I had it in conjunction with CBT.

I emphasised to my GP that I wanted to be on it for as short a time as possible. He was very good, I had a monthly appointment with him to discuss how I was feeling, and when he and I felt I was ready he started me on a very slow taper to completely stopping. I think all in all I was on it for about 9 months from start to finish. Maybe I was lucky in that I was on quite a low dosage to start with, and that continued, that the taper was easier and I didn't feel that I was going backwards. He did say that he felt my natural resilience kicked in, and that I was determined to carry on without the tablets and I think that was true - I come from a family where you only took something for a headache as a last resort so taking anti-depressants was completely alien to me.

OP, I think my advice would be to discuss with the GP who should be prescribing a very slow withdrawal given the time you have been taking anti-depressants, and discuss how you are feeling and explore if there are any alternatives.

I couldn’t do it, just started retaking them again after a week of the symptoms, it was frightening.

My DM has never managed to come of citalopram despite trying twice with a really good GP
She's been taking them for 20 years now and says she will be on them for the rest of her life

You haven't said how you tapered, OP, but the advice is to stabilise on the reduced dose before reducing again, not continue cutting regardless.

Dr Mark Horrowitz who is an author on The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines: Antidepressants, is part of this video for doctors and patients. It includes how to tell the difference between withdrawal and actually needing the drug:

iipdw.org/antidepressant-withdrawal-training-video/

Are you staying on the tapered dose for several months as per the guidance?

I can’t get off them, I just don’t function without them. Even on slowest taper I went down from 20 to 15 and immediately noticed my driving went to shit (this was also the first thing to improve on them). I’m back on them but considering dropping 2.5mg per year next